The covering of foam cushion members with fabric for use in vehicular seats is commonly performed with automated upholstering equipment. For aesthetic purposes, it is frequently desirable to cover the cushion with two or more fabrics of different colors, patterns, etc., which have been arranged in an attractive fashion. The two or more fabric pieces are generally sewn together along their edges, with the sew seam slightly recessed into the cushion for comfort. During an automated upholstering process, however, the fabric covers have a tendency to shift out of the proper orientation on the cushion and thus mislocate the sew seams of the two or more fabrics upon the cushion.
The prior art U.S. Pat. No. 4,765,045 to Allen J. Selbert, issued Aug. 23, 1988, discloses the use of a plastic locator strip which is sewn between two pieces of fabric covering at the sew seam. The locator strip is adapted to be held in an automated tool for positively positioning the sew seam of the two fabrics into the proper orientation on the cushion. After the upholstering process is complete, the locator strip is torn from the fabric by disjoining at a pinched and perforated area thereby leaving a non-removable solid base of the locator strip underneath the sew seam which is permanently imbedded in the cushion. This reference discloses an inherently deficient upholstering process in that the solid base portion is left imbedded underneath the fabric covers, which is bothersome and uncomfortable to sit on or lean against.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,885,828 to Eric F. Kozlowski, granted Dec. 12, 1989 and assigned to the assignee of the present invention, discloses the use of a similar plastic locator strip for properly positioning upholstery fabric in relation to a seat cushion in the manufacture of a seat. Kozlowski '828, however, teaches the concept of providing a strip which is entirely removable from the seat. Kozlowski discloses a locator strip designed to have these attributes, which strip includes an insertion portion adapted to be inserted between the sewn together edges of the fabric covers. The insertion portion has a plurality of spaced apart, finger-like projections joined together at their distal ends by thin transverse filament. The fingers and filament define a plurality of openings or pockets for accommodating the stitches of the seat. After the covers have been properly joined to the cushion, the Kozlowski strip is removed by pulling on an extension portion of the strip, causing the sections of filament between the fingers to pull against the stitches and break for intended removal with the remaining portions of the strip.
Although Kozlowski discloses the concept of a completely removable strip, actual use of such a strip has shown that the sections of filament between the fingers offer too great of a resistance to breakage so as to loosen or damage the stitching of the seat when removing the strip. Furthermore, the filament sections have a tendency to break in more than one location between the fingers causing small pieces of filament material to remain in the seam which must be removed manually in a separate operation.
Accordingly, there is still a need in the industry for a locator strip that will not damage the stitching of the seat upon removal nor leave any portion of the strip intact.